“Her Highest Praises Were Mocking Insults”—What It’s Like Growing Up With a Narcissist for a Parent

“Growing up, my mother developed a friendship with me and my sister…but [she was] the worst kind of friend. The environment was twisted and unpredictable. My mom frequently drank and drove with us. She was drama-filled and meddled in our relationships. There were frequent fist fights with family members. I feel like I went through war. Now that I’m an adult, I have a huge lack of trust in people. I’m always avoiding conflict. [When you grow up with a narcissistic parent], there’s always this feeling that nobody understands. You feel like you’re the only one going through this because there’s such a stigma placed on blaming your parent for their actions.” —Lindsey